Chapter 425
Alexander’s eyes widened in shock. “Carla isn’t Aunt Summer’s daughter?!” He turned to his father and directly asked, “Is that why you asked Rain to come here? Do you think she’s Aunt Summer’s real daughter p>
Rock exhaled sharply, his expression serious. “It’s a possibility, Xander. Everything is starting to connect. Arlan and Tim had a history of disputes, and Summer had an emergency delivery at Tim’s family hospital. Now, it makes sense why Tim has mistreated Rain all her life. It’s just a theory, but if we have a chance to uncover the truth, we should take it p>
Without hesitation, he turned to the doctors and firmly instructed, “Take a sample from my daughter-in-law. Compare her DNA with Summer’s. We need answers p>
Rain sat frozen beside Alexander, her heart pounding. ’Could it really be possible p>
Rain glanced at Mr. Arlan and found him already looking at her. He gave her a reassuring nod. Taking a deep breath, she turned to the doctor and said, “Let’s begin p>
The doctor nodded and quickly gathered the necessary samples, a buccal swab and a blood sample.
Silence settled over the room as they waited.
“You all must be hungry by now,” Arlan finally said, breaking the heavy atmosphere.
“Right. I’ll call Vernice. I’m sure she’s on her way back. Let’s just eat here. I’ll ask her to bring us some dinner,” Rock said before pulling out his phone to make the call.
“Where did Aunt Vernice go?” Alexander asked.
“She stopped by her gallery nearby,” Rock replied.
Rain observed her father-in-law closely. She knew he wasn’t in the best health and shouldn’t be pushing himself too hard. Thankfully, he had brought his own medical team along, and she was certain Aunt Vernice wouldn’t have left his side if he wasn’t well enough to manage on his own.
As they waited, Rain found herself sighing unknowingly. The situation felt surreal, almost too overwhelming to process. Yet, deep in her heart, she hoped… hoped that the results would confirm she was Mrs. Summer’s daughter. Not because of the Cartier family’s status, but because she knew, without a doubt, that both Mr. Arlan and Mrs. Summer were good people.
She wouldn’t lie to herself, when she learned that Carla wasn’t their real daughter, she felt an immense sense of relief.
Alexander must have sensed her unease because he turned to his father and asked, “Dad, while we wait, can you explain the connection to Tim Clayton? You mentioned a history of disputes, what exactly happened? And why do you suspect Rain could be Uncle Arlan’s real daughter? How is everything connected? Because honestly, I’m still trying to piece this all together p>
Rain was glad Alexander asked the question because she wanted to know the full story, too. She already knew that Mr. Arlan and Tim had bad blood between them, and from what she had been told, it all started because of Lydia Clayton, the adopted daughter of the Clayton family, whom both Arlan and Tim had loved.
Arlan interrupted, his voice calm but heavy with the weight of the past. “Lydia Clayton and I were lovers once, but one day, she broke up with me p>
He walked toward them, settling into the chair beside Father Rock. Taking a deep breath, he continued, “Our families arranged for Summer and me to marry shortly after. I agreed, and as we got to know each other, we genuinely fell in love. We chose to follow our parents’ wishes and went through with the engagement. But then… Lydia came back p>
Rain listened intently as Arlan’s gaze darkened with old memories.
“She told me what had happened, how she and Tim had entered a relationship. She claimed she had broken up with me because she thought I was with Kaila.” He let out a humorless chuckle. “I never understood why she was convinced I had cheated on her with Kaila. Later, I found out that she misunderstood something she saw, me and Kaila together. And it seems Tim had poisoned her mind against me p>
“Tim was in love with Lydia,” Rain murmured, recalling what Aunt Melanie had once told her. “He loved her deeply back then p>
Arlan nodded. “It seems so. But in the end, Lydia admitted that she loved me more than she loved Tim. She begged me to take her back, to start over, but by then p>
He turned his gaze toward Summer, his expression softening. “By then, I was already madly in love with Summer. I couldn’t imagine my life without her. I told Lydia the truth, and Summer and I proceeded with our wedding as planned. After that, I lost track of Lydia. I don’t know what happened to her, but I had my own life to build. Summer and I were expecting twins just a month later p>
Rain swallowed hard, absorbing the story. “All my life, I thought my mother was Kaila… She was pregnant around the same time. But now I know she’s not my real mother p>
Father Rock’s expression turned grim as he spoke, “What if Tim swapped the babies? What if Carla is actually Kaila’s daughter with Tim?” His voice was urgent as he pulled out his phone. “I’ll have William send the DNA samples of Kaila and Tim. Their records are already stored at Meta Doctors Hospital p>
Rain watched as her father-in-law busied himself with calls and instructions, but her mind was spinning. Everything was falling into place.
Tim Clayton was a quiet but dangerously calculating man. Having lived under his roof, she had seen firsthand how deeply he held grudges. If Father Rock’s suspicion was correct, then none of this was surprising.
After all, Tim had never once treated her like a daughter. He had raised her as his own, but she had always been nothing more than a burden in his eyes.
Rain swallowed hard, her fingers curling into her lap. The weight of everything pressed down on her, suffocating.
Sensing her distress, Alexander reached for her hand, his grip warm and steady. He lifted it to his lips, pressing a gentle kiss against her knuckles. His reassuring smile met her gaze, silently telling her, ’I’m here. You’re not alone p>
Rain exhaled shakily, grounding herself in his presence.
Father Rock, having finished his call, broke the silence. “Too many things align… the way Tim treated Rain, the circumstances of Summer’s delivery, and Carla’s false identity as your daughter.” His voice was firm, filled with certainty as he turned to Arlan. “Tim has a deep grudge against you, Arlan, and we both know that p>
Rain’s mind spun. Her breathing turned uneven and shallow. The room seemed smaller, the air thinner. The truth was unraveling right in front of her, and all she could do now was wait for the DNA compatibility results that could change everything.
Before anyone could say more, the door swung open.
David stepped inside, his face unreadable as he held an envelope in his hands.
“The results are in p>